Never Too Late
by JennyJeannette
Summary: Being with Yuki was what Kaname always wanted. But as he begins to realize that their family picture isn't complete without one special person, he decides to go after her.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_A knock on the door. Kaname looked up from his book, surprised to see his little sister standing in the doorway to the living room. Four-year old Jeannette still had her pajamas on, her eyes half-open as she walked across the distance between her and her brother. She sat next to him on the sofa and leaned her head on his shoulder._

_ Kaname smiled and ruffled her brown hair. "Why did you wake up so early? You must sleep a lot in order to be smart when you grow up."_

_ Jeannette relaxed against him. "I'm too excited to sleep!" she said, looking up at him. Unlike Haruka, Juri, and Kaname, who had brown eyes, Jeannette's eyes were silver. Kaname loved those eyes. He often dreamed of the day when those eyes would be looking at him intently, full of passion and love._

_ "What are you excited for?" Kaname asked, even though he already knew the answer._

_ Jeannette grinned, revealing her growing fangs. "The baby will be here in two days!" She took Kaname's book away to ensure that he was listening. "You know what I want to name her, Kaname?"_

_ "I thought Mother and Father would name her, Jenny," Kaname teased._

_ She pouted. "Then my name could be her middle name, right?"_

_ "Of course."_

_ She cleared her throat. "I want to name the baby, Yuki, as in "little princess". Is that nice?"_

_ Kaname kissed the top of her head. "It's beautiful, Jenny."_

_ "Yay, you like it!" she squealed. "I can't wait for Yuki to be here!"_

Kaname Kuran woke with a start, his breaths coming in pants. His body was covered in cold sweat, and his head hurt like hell. He closed his eyes, trying to un-see what he had just seen. Beside him, Yuki stirred, aroused by her partner's sudden awakening. She opened her eyes to see her brother inhaling and exhaling slowly, his hand covering his face.

"Kaname? What's wrong?" She sat up straight and put a hand on his shoulder. This action made Kaname flinch, the muscles in his body tensing.

"Sorry," Yuki muttered. "What happened?"

Kaname suddenly remembered that he wasn't alone in the bed, and he immediately felt ashamed for letting himself be weak in front of the one person he had to be strong for. He uncovered his eyes and looked at Yuki, confusion and worry lined on her face.

Kaname got off the bed and grabbed his pants from the floor. "I'm sorry for waking you. I was just having a…an unpleasant dream."

Yuki took his hand before he could leave. "You know you can tell me about it, right?"

Kaname looked into her eyes. _Brown eyes. Not silver. _Pain washed over him like a flood, and he felt like falling. Regaining his control, Kaname smiled at his sister. "Don't worry, Yuki. I'm just going out for a walk. I'll be back later tonight." He bent down and kissed her, leaving her flustered and blushy, like she usually was. Then, with a wave, he was out of the room and down the hallway.

It had been a year since Kaname and Yuki left Cross Academy, and it was only a month ago that Kaname announced Yuki's existence to the Vampire World. It had been just the two of them all that time…

Kaname sighed as he opened the door to the porch. Outside, the sun was beginning to set, marking the "morning" for vampires. Kaname was usually never up this early, but ever since last week, the nightmares had been keeping him awake. He trudged through the snow-covered grass, shivering because he forgot to put a coat on.

_This is dangerous, _he thought. _I can't allow this kind of behavior before the Council. They'll never let me live it down._ He walked as far as the entry-gate to his and Yuki's mansion, hidden away from the rest of the Vampire World.

The dream he had…it wasn't a dream, actually. It was a memory. That memory took place two days before Yuki was born, and four years before Jeannette left. He remembered how happy Jeannette was at having a little sister, and how angry she was when she left them for good.

He sighed and tried thinking of other important matters. Things with Sara Shirabuki weren't going too well, what with the fact that she killed her fiancée. Kaname knew he had to dispose of her, because she was giving the wrong impression of a Pureblood to everyone else. He knew that one day, he'd have to leave, and Yuki would have to take care of things without him.

He leaned against a tree and closed his eyes. "Jeannette…" he whispered.

**A/N: There goes Chapter One! I really hope you enjoyed it, and that it wasn't too confusing. Chapter Two will be up as soon as I'm finished with it, so please stay tuned! Also, please review! It would really make my day!**** : )**


	2. Thirst

**Chapter Two**

"_Where are you going? Jeannette?" Kaname grabbed Jeannette's hand and forced her to look at him._

_ "Let go!" Jeannette yelled, pulling away. She picked her bag up from the floor, and headed out the door and into the lawn. She could hear her family's cries behind her, but she didn't answer them. All she wanted to do was just leave._

_ Using his Pureblood speed, Haruka Kuran appeared in front of Jenny, his tall figure towering over her. "Jenny, you can't leave! It's too dangerous—"_

_ "What?" Jeannette shouted. "You don't think I could handle it out there? I'm perfectly fine by myself!" She shuffled past him, and was almost to the gate when her mother wrapped her arms around her._

_ "Please, Jenny," Juri whispered. "You're only eight years old. Rido's followers are still out there, and—"_

_ "Rido doesn't want my blood," Jeannette said. She spun around and glared at her mother. "Remember? My blood is too weak for him!" She pointed back at the house. "He only wants Yuki's blood, not mine."_

_ Juri wanted to tell her not to say Yuki's name out loud in public, but now wasn't the time. She took Jeannette's hand tightly. "Please, Jenny. Don't leave," she pleaded._

_ Jeannette slowly took it away. "No, Juri. With me gone, you, Haruka, and Kaname could protect Yuki to the fullest, without having me in the way."_

_ "Don't call me Juri!" Juri yelled. "Call me Mom. I'm your mother, Jeannette!"_

_ Without another word, Jeannette ran. She knew she didn't have the speed of her parents and brother, but she knew it was worth a try. In a few moments, she would be free._

"Jenny? Helloooo! Earth to Jeannette!"

Jeannette snapped back to reality, finding herself sitting across from her redheaded friend, Megan Johnson. Megan's lipstick-covered lips were set into a frown, and Jeannette realized that she was talking to her.

"Sorry, Meg, I was—"

"Daydreaming. Again!" Megan interrupted. She took a forkful of spaghetti and stuffed it in her mouth, glaring at the brunette.

Jeannette felt guilty for not paying attention to her. Today was Megan's birthday, and after a month of waiting for their reservations, they finally had landed themselves a table at the finest restaurant in the city, Flashy Piazza. Jeannette reluctantly took a sip of her beverage, avoiding Megan's eyes.

"So…" Megan said, "As I was saying, Dan finally asked me out last night!" she smiled through meatball-smeared teeth.

"That's awesome, Meg," Jeannette said, looking out the window. Stars covered the night sky, lighting up the dark world that they lived in.

Megan frowned. "God, what is wrong with you, Jen?" she looked at her friend's uneaten steak. "You haven't even started eating yet! You're so out of it today!"

Jeannette sighed and forced a smile. "Sorry, I just have a lot of things on my mind."

"Well, I should be on your mind right now! I'm the fucking birthday girl!" Megan's next words were drowned out by screaming voices coming from the other side of the restaurant.

Using her Pureblood vision, Jeannette looked past Megan and toward a couple sitting at a table on the far end of the restaurant. The girl was wincing, holding her bloody finger close to her chest. Apparently, she had accidentally sliced it with the knife.

Jeannette stiffened. She grabbed her purse from under the table and stood up.

"Where are you going now?" Megan demanded.

Jeannette covered her eyes with her hand. "I need to go to the bathroom." Ignoring Megan's shouts, she raced to the ladies' room.

_Good, there's no one here. _Jeannette washed her face with water, trying to ignore the strong smell of blood emanating from the other room. She looked herself in the mirror. Much to her horror, her eyes were glowing blood-red, and her fangs were protruding from her gums.

"_Thirst…the one thing that is more painful than death…"_

Jeannette gasped, shaking her head as if the memory would pour out. It had been ten years since she had actually drank blood from her brother, so why was it bothering her now?

She searched her purse for the familiar black and red case, and poured out its contents. Cupping water in her hand, she swallowed a Blood Tablet, readying herself for the numbness that was about to come.

To her dismay, though, she coughed it out, making it land in the sink. The red essence flooded out of the pill and ran through the drain, making Jeannette sick.

Jeannette clutched her throat. _Why can't I swallow them? _

She backed away from the sink and leaned against the tile wall, trying to calm herself down. Ever since last week, she wasn't able to take the Blood Tablets, even after she had taken them for a decade.

_A decade… _she thought. _A decade ago, I didn't need to take them…_

Jeannette realized that she had been in the bathroom for ten minutes, so she decided to go back to Megan. She combed through her brown, shoulder-length hair with her fingers, and hoped that no one would notice the change in her eye color.

Back at the table, Megan had already paid the bill, and her blue eyes were glaring ever so viciously.

Jeannette patted her stomach. "Stomach ache," she said, but she knew that Megan knew that she was lying.

"What happened to your eyes?" Megan asked, pointing at them.

_Shit! _"It's the lights," Jeannette replied lamely, then headed to the exit. "Let's go."

…

"Sorry for messing up the dinner," Jeannette said as Megan unlocked her apartment door. "I promise I'll make it up to you."

"You don't have to," Megan snapped. "Because next time, I'll have someone else take me out to dinner." And with that, she slammed the door shut.

Jeannette groaned and slumped against it. Her throat was still throbbing, and she was thirstier than ever. She wished she had eaten, even though it wouldn't have helped. She took out a Blood Tablet and tried downing it again.

She choked and coughed it out, sending it flying over the stair rail. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her throat.

_What is wrong with me?_


	3. Breaking News

**Chapter Three**

"Is it true, Kaname?" Yuki was asking. "Cross Academy is re-establishing the Night Class?"

Kaname nodded while reading the newspaper. "It was re-established a month ago, actually."

"Oh." Yuki tilted her head to see what Kaname was reading, but she realized that the words on the pages were in a different language. She tried reading the unusual symbols, but she had never learned a language other than her own before.

"Onii-sama?" Kaname smiled at the sound of this word being said. He was glad that Yuki didn't look at him as her ancestor, but as her brother.

"Yes, Yuki?"

She edged closer to him on the sofa, and pointed at the page he was reading. On it, was a picture of a beautiful brunette girl signing an important-looking piece of writing. "What are you reading?"

Kaname sighed and put it down. "It's a newspaper from America," he said wearily.

Yuki frowned at his lack of details. "What is it about?"

Kaname wore a sad smile on his face. "The girl in the picture, her name is Jeannette Thomas. She is the adopted daughter of a billionaire philanthropist, Thomas Howard. She's a famous singer, and in the picture, she's signing a deal to donate 10 thousand dollars to a charity supporting sick children around the world."

Yuki looked at the photo closely. The girl, Jeannette Thomas, had reddish lips and beautiful silver eyes. _She's more beautiful than Ruka or Rima! _"How old is she?"

Kaname thought for a moment. "I think she's seventeen. No, her birthday was earlier this month. November 11th. She's eighteen years old," he said finally.

"You know a lot about her," Yuki stated.

He shrugged. "You could say that I'm a big fan of hers."

_Riiiight_,Yuki thought. She stared at his face for any more information, but as usual, it was shrouded from her eyes. _He hides so much under that mask of his…_

Kaname looked away from Yuki, afraid that she could read the thoughts racing across his mind. _Thomas. She changed her last name to Thomas… _He looked back at the newspaper.

Two sets of Pureblood minds sensed a Hunter's presence outside the mansion. As minutes went by, more Hunters joined this one, and soon they could feel a whole army of Vampire Hunters surrounding their home.

"Kaname, what—" Yuki started, but Kaname put a finger to her lips.

"Shh," he hushed. "Stay here." He stood up and called for the head of all the servants, Benjamin. The short man stumbled upon the two Purebloods, and Kaname resisted glaring at him when Yuki was there.

"Yes, Kaname-sama?" Benjamin said as be bowed to the two Purebloods.

"I want you to take Yuki to the basement, and have her stay there until I say she can come back up. Understand?"

"I understand, milord," Benjamin replied before looking at Yuki. "Yuki-sama, if you will…"

There were loud bangs on the front door some angry commands, making the three vampires freeze where they were standing.

"What's happening?" Yuki demanded as Benjamin took her hand. "Tell me, Kaname!"

Kaname looked into her eyes for a moment, then said, "I don't know, Yuki, but it doesn't seem safe. Please, listen—"

"No!" she yelled. "Don't go out there alone! KANAME!" she screamed as Benjamin and a few other servants hauled her to the basement, or at least that's what Kaname hoped.

He took a deep breath, then made his way to the door. Using his Pureblood super vision, he saw Kaien Cross, the former headmaster of Cross Academy, standing behind the wooden door. He assumed that he wasn't going to be harmed, and slowly opened the door.

"Do you need anything, Society President?" Kaname greeted coldly, glaring at Cross and the Hunters behind him.

Cross returned this remark with a frown, and cautiously pulled a paper from his jacket pocket. "Kaname-kun, you and your sister are coming into custody of the Society."

Kaname wasn't surprised. With the amount of Hunters around his house, of course that meant trouble. "What have we done that is upsetting you?" Kaname asked calmly, maintaining a cool expression.

Cross appeared frustrated at Kaname's lack of anger. "We're not sure yet," he answered, choosing his words carefully. "We are suspecting many Purebloods, in fact…"

"What happened?"

Cross looked at the Hunter next to him for permission, it seemed, then he said, "The new Blood Tablets that are being manufactured…the producers have realized that a Pureblood vampire's blood were found inside them. That means anybody who takes the Blood Tablet…" He looked at Kaname, believing that he knew the rest.

Kaname did. Whoever took the Blood Tablet would be the servant of the Pureblood who has their blood in the Tablet. Kaname was lost in his thoughts, so he didn't realize the handcuffs Cross was pulling from his belt.

"What—" Kaname hesitated, but about thirty anti-vampire guns were pointed at him. He sighed and let Cross handcuff him, and followed the group out beyond the gates, where a whole train of Hunter trucks were waiting for them.

"Retrieve Yuki from the house," Cross ordered a Hunter, leading Kaname into the truck. Kaname gave him a vicious look, which made him add, "Be gentle though," to his co-workers.

Kaname sat away from Cross in the truck, closing his eyes and regretting being in the situation he was in. He evaluated every Pureblood he knew of, wondering whether if they were good candidates for the bastards who started this mess.

A while later, Yuki joined them, handcuffed and confused. She didn't speak one word to Kaname or Cross through the ride, so the hour and thirty minutes were very awkward. No one tried making conversation, to Kaname's satisfaction. He didn't want to be talking to anyone right now, let alone Yuki. He closed his eyes and shut himself out in his own little world, with no one to intervene or disturb him.

…

The Society looked the same as always, except for one minor difference.

Ever since the war at Cross Academy, the Hunter Society was crowded with Hunters and their captive vampires. But so far, the only vampires Kaname could sense were himself and Yuki.

Side by side, Kaname and Yuki walked into the Society, and everything stopped. All Hunters ceased working and stared at the two Purebloods, fear and hatred mixing together on their faces.

Kaname looked at Yuki, who was looking at the floor. She tended to look at the ground under pressured circumstances, which he found to be kind of cute.

"We're going to be okay," he assured her softly as they followed Cross into some sort of meeting room. She didn't say anything, just stared at the floor, making Kaname feel even worse.

Cross took a seat at the far end of the room, behind a podium looking much like a judge's seat in a courtroom. Kaname and Yuki remained standing before him, with a few Hunters staying in the room to keep watch.

"We're still reining in more Purebloods," Cross said, as if continuing his conversation with Kaname from earlier. "We hope to find Sara Shirabuki sometime soon." He leaned closer, his face grim. "What really concerns you two, though…"

"What?" Yuki said, the first word she said ever since Cross "visited" them.

Cross Kaien took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. Kaname braced himself for what was to come. "Yuki…you aren't the only daughter of Haruka and Juri Kuran."


	4. Action Plan

**Chapter Four**

Yuki gasped, and Kaname winced. A lot of questions were running through her mind, like, "You have another sister? Is she older than me? Who is she? Why didn't you ever tell me?" But instead she just asked, "Is this true?"

Cross glanced at Kaname. "I think Kaname-kun may know more about her than me."

_Great_, Kaname thought, and all eyes were on him, especially Yuki's. He sighed and looked at his sister, regretting reading that newspaper earlier. "Yes, Yuki, you have an older sister." He paused, hoping that that was enough, but of course it wasn't. "Her birth name was Jeannette Aurora Kuran. She ran away from home when she was eight, around the time Rido killed our parents. She loved you so much," his voice cracked embarrassingly on that last word, and Yuki instantly forgave him.

She nudged him softly. "I'm sorry" was all she could say.

Cross cleared his throat, interrupting the little sibling moment. "After the meeting, my men and I are heading out to New York to retrieve her. Once she's here, we will begin the questioning."

Kaname just looked at him. "Right now?"

Cross nodded and turned to one of his colleagues and said, "Take them to the holding cells."

"Wait!" Kaname suddenly exclaimed. Everyone was looking at him again, but he didn't care. "Take me with you."

"Kaname—", Cross started.

"Take me with you," he said again, more of a plea than an order. "I know her strengths and weaknesses, and it would be easy for me to track her down." He looked hopefully at Cross, feeling humiliated for stooping so low.

Cross thought for a while, then finally, he said, "Fine, you can come. But you'll have extra guards on you to ensure that you won't try anything funny. Kiryu-kun will be one of them."

Kaname noticed Yuki flinching beside him, but otherwise, she didn't say anything.

Cross looked apologetic. "I'm sorry that I must treat you this way, Kaname-kun, but it's for the best. Once it's all over, you can go back to your normal lives."

_That's not true_, Kaname wanted to say. _How can we go back to our normal lives when Jeannette is there?_

Yuki's touch interrupted his sea of thoughts. "Be careful, Onii-sama."

He smiled. "Of course I will, Yuki."

A moment later, Cross walked to the door and gestured to Kaname. "Let's go."

…

Twelve hours and forty minutes later, Kaname, Cross, Zero Kiryu, and a handful of other Hunters were standing in the entryway of the JFK airport in New York City. The group headed to a remote alley nearby, where they discussed their action plan.

Cross handed each of the men an elaborate map of New York City. "I've circled each of the places that Jeannette is bound to be at, especially the Howard estate." He pointed at one of the larger circles on the map, then traced a line downward to an apartment building in New York City. "This is where Jeannette's apartment is located, but we don't know the exact room she lives in."

_How does he know all this? _Kaname thought, but remained silent.

"Tonight," Cross continued, "Jeannette will be attending a gala along with Thomas Howard. I've figured that we wait until the gala is over, so as to not attract too much attention." He checked to see if the others understood, then said, "I'll set up three groups at the Howard estate, Jeannette's apartment, and her recording studio to ambush her if she decides to go there."

Kaname felt sick. He never thought that he would have to ambush his own sister.

Cross looked at Kaname. "Kaname-kun, you, Kiryu-kun, and Tanaka here will be close to the gala to alert us when Jeannette leaves. However, you will not be hurting her."

The man next to Cross, a tall man with black hair and blue eyes, scoffed. "What's the whole point of being here if we're not going to hurt her?"

Kaname could've killed him in a second, if it weren't for the Anti-Vampire handcuffs that were on his wrists. Before he could say anything, Cross saved him the trouble. "Tanaka-san, if we ambush her in front of all those people—"

"Then put me in another group!" Tanaka snapped.

Cross rolled his eyes. "Fine. You'll be in my group." His gaze flickered to Kaname, and he asked, "Is there anything we should know about Jeannette?"

Kaname sighed. He didn't want to help them find Jeannette—because he didn't want her to get hurt—but at the same time, he felt this urge just to see her again, after all those years of being apart…

"She can control the elements," he answered finally. "Air, Water, Earth, and Fire, kind of like the Avatar." Jeannette wasn't the Avatar, though. She was just one of those special vampires who were born with special powers.

"I thought she was weak," Cross said quietly.

Kaname shook his head. "If her powers were taken away from her, a vampire could kill her easily. If you compared her strength to a human… she would be a human on steroids."

Cross nodded. "I see. Let's begin."

**A/N: Omigosh, I'm so, so, very sorry for not updating sooner! I would've gotten this done two days ago, but I was overcome by laziness. :P Well, anyway, I know it's kind of a crossover between the Avatar stuff, but just to clarify, Jeannette is not the Avatar. She just happens to have those powers. : ) Thanks for reading, please review, and stay tuned for the next chapter! :D**


	5. Reunion

**Chapter Five**

"Ms. Thomas, over here!"

"Jeannette, when will your next album come out?"

"Are you sure your donation will reach the intended charity?"

"Jeannette!"

Jeannette smiled brightly, posing for the cameras that were shoved at here. She answered each question with a nod—something Thomas had taught her when she got her first record deal. She followed her "father" through the crowd of people, waving and smiling as she passed by.

When they reached the snack table, a group of security guards chased the unwanted paparazzi away, leaving Jeannette and Thomas to themselves for a bit. "Tom," she groaned.

Thomas smirked. "Don't worry, Jen, it'll be over before you know it!"  
She rolled her eyes as she poured herself a cup of punch. "You say that at every auction. Are you even going to bid for something this time?"

He shrugged. "If there's anything of value."

"You say that a lot, too," she muttered, looking through a window. "I just have this weird feeling…"

Thomas patted her shoulder. "Loosen up, will you? Other girls would die to be in your place. Why don't you mingle around and find a new buddy for tonight?" He nudged her, thinking she'd know what he meant.

Jeannette did. "Yeah…maybe later." She slipped away, finding sanctuary beside an ice sculpture. _This is dangerous_, she thought. She lightly tapped her neck, feeling a slight burn as she did. Tonight, she was thirstier than ever. Thank God she had great self-control.

_But still…something feels wrong. _She looked out the window again, when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

"Good evening, Ms. Thomas," greeted a friendly voice.

Jeannette turned around, finding a boy not much older than her, with bright blond hair and brown eyes. "Jenny," she corrected.

"Jenny," he repeated, smiling. "I'm James Morgan, perhaps you've heard of me?"

She nodded. "You're the son of Morgan Sax, the CEO of Sax Industries. My dad has told me a lot about you."

He smiled even wider, his bright teeth gleaming in the moonlight from the window. "That's great! I came over because you looked bored, and the auction doesn't start for an hour, so…" he glanced over to the balcony outside, where other couples were dancing.

Jeannette wasn't surprised. She found herself in these kinds of situations many times before, so she knew how to deal with them. "Actually, I—"

"—She would love to dance with you, James!" Thomas suddenly appeared between them, shaking hands with the boy ferociously. They exchanged a few words about the honor of meeting each other, when Thomas finally left them to dance. Jeannette tried her best to seem happy, but it was really hard to what with the thirst that was messing with her head.

James led her out to the balcony, where he slid an arm around her waist. His fingers felt the fabric of her purple chiffon dress, his eyes devouring her entire figure.

Jeannette lightly pushed his hand away, letting him rest it around her waist again. A moment later, they were spinning around the balcony, Jeannette's gown billowing in the wind.

"You're a great dancer," James commented, squeezing her hand tightly.

"You're not too bad yourself," Jeannette replied, only being polite. When the song ended, James took a strand of her brown hair and rubbed it between his fingers.

_Touchy. _"James, I—", Jeannette felt a pounding in her heart. She looked towards the sky, at a skyscraper that towered the building they were on now.

"Yes?" James asked.

Jeannette eased out of his grip, and walked toward the edge of the balcony, still looking up. _No, it can't be… _

"Jenny? What are you doing? Hey! Jenny!" Jeannette ignored his cries and ran back inside the building. She looked through the crowd of people getting ready for the auction, when she spotted Thomas chatting with a woman.

"Tom!" she called, pushing past the horde of people. "Tom!"

He still couldn't hear her, so she sprinted between the two and interrupted whatever conversation they were having. "Tom."

"Jenny, what do you—"

"I'm going home," she said. She could feel the burning in her throat, and she resisted touching it.

Tom looked concerned. "Why? What's wrong? Did James…" he trailed off, letting her finish.

She shook her head. "No, I…I just don't feel too well. I'll call you later tonight." She gave him a goodbye hug, then rushed outside to call a cab. As she hustled down the steps leading to the street, she felt the blood pumping in her ears. _No, I can't risk being alone in a taxi._ She groaned, not knowing what to do. Hell, she didn't even know if what she saw was real or her imagination.

_It can't be real_, she told herself. _There's no way he could be here._

_ No way, _she said again, as she headed toward her apartment.

…

"Target heading toward Location B. Kuran and I are done here." Zero cut the call short, leaving Cross to himself. The two of them had spotted Jeannette running out of the building, heading to her home on foot.

_She must have sensed me_, Kaname thought. _Why else would she be in such a hurry? _It took a moment for him to realize that his whole body was trembling. In an hour or so, if everything went according to plan, he would see his sister again. He hoped that she wouldn't be badly hurt when they captured her.

Zero tapped Kaname on the shoulder, and together they found their way back to solid ground, in the midst of rowdy New Yorkers. Kaname still had his handcuffs on, but they were covered by the jacket Zero had thrown over them.

"Where are we headed now, Kiryu-kun?" Kaname asked, ending the awkward silence between them.

Zero looked toward the building where the auction was taking place. "We have to wait for the President's call. Then we're to head straight back to the airport."

Kaname nodded, trying to hide the fact that he was more scared than he ever was in his entire life.

…

Jeannette fumbled for her keys in her purse, trying ever so hard to stay in control until she got into her room. Her silver eyes were slowly turning red, and at this point, if she crossed paths with a human, she was sure to kill them.

After an eternity, Jeannette pushed the door open and stepped into her apartment. She slammed the door shut behind her, clutching her neck tightly. _No, please, no…_

She flung her jacket onto the floor and headed into the kitchen, where she found her pack of Blood Tablets on the counter. She took a handful of the pills out and made a short prayer, hoping that they would numb her enough until she regained her control. She stuffed them into her mouth, but unfortunately, choked them back out again.

"Fuck!" she gasped, filling a glass with water. She drank it in seconds, then chucked it at the wall, making it shatter into a thousand pieces. She groaned, gripping the countertop tightly. "You can do this, Jen. Just…keep…control…" She closed her eyes, taking in a few breaths. When she thought she had recovered, her hands crushed the marble counter.

She was about to scream in frustration when she felt a presence from the living room. She spun around, her hands bursting into flames. She was about to engulf the whole apartment in fire when something shiny was pointed at her. She knew exactly what it was. She let the fire die, but she wasn't surrendering yet.

"Good," said a voice she didn't recognize. "I didn't want to end up getting messy tonight."

"Tanaka-san!" said another, probably scolding him. The man who owned this voice stepped into the light from the window, attempting to smile at the girl. He was dressed in a black overcoat, even though it was the middle of summer. His auburn hair was tied into a ponytail, and his hazel eyes glimmered from behind his glasses' lenses.

"Who are you?" Jeannette demanded, staying behind the counter for protection. She tried summoning fire again, but the Anti-Vampire weapons in the room prevented her from doing so.

The man in the overcoat stepped closer to her, raising his hands to show her that he meant her no harm. "I am Kaien Cross, president of the Vampire Hunters' Association."

She backed away, almost running into the refrigerator. "Why are you here?"

He stopped moving, feet planted beside the dining table. "You are under our custody," he exclaimed. "A crime has been committed, and we are suspecting all Pureblood vampires of being the culprit."

_Pureblood. _It had been so long that someone had classified her under that group. "I have nothing to do with this," she said. "I haven't come into contact with any vampires in the past ten years. I'm innocent," she added, trying to find an excuse to let her stay, because she knew that nothing good would come out of this trip.

"I'm sorry, Jeannette. But once we're done, you can go back and do whatever you want. But for now…" he trailed off, thinking she'd know what he meant. The man who had pointed his gun at her, Tanaka, stepped forward and walked around the counter, holding a pair of handcuffs in his hands. Jeannette reluctantly let him imprison her wrists, and she sighed as they led her out of her home.

Twenty minutes later, she was in a cab, on her way to the JFK airport. She was squeezed in the back seat along with Cross and Tanaka, and it was a very uncomfortable ride.

Jeannette didn't pay any attention to the two men. All she was thinking about was what she sensed while she was dancing with James, an event that seemed like it happened years ago. _That was Kaname_, she realized. _He was out there, watching me the whole time._ Thankfully, her thirst had quieted down when she was handcuffed, so she didn't have to worry about killing anyone until she reached the airport.

_Help me_, she prayed, but she didn't know who she was praying to. She just hoped that someone, anyone, can get her out of the situation she was forced into.

…

"What is she like?" Zero asked, reeling Kaname out of his thoughts.

He looked at the silver-haired boy sitting next to him in the terminal. "What?"

"What is she like?" Zero repeated, not meeting Kaname's eyes.

Kaname looked at his feet, not wanting to answer, but Zero was waiting for him. After a while, he finally said, "I can't be so sure. It's been a while since I've seen her—she must have changed a lot." He looked at Zero to see if he believed the lie, and thankfully, he did.

Kaname and Zero had gotten to the airport about half an hour ago, when Cross had called and told them that Jeannette was with them. Ever since then, Kaname felt the aching in his throat start to ascend, as if it knew that Kaname's old blood source was coming so close.

"There they are," Zero said, standing up. Kaname looked in the direction Zero was looking at, and sure enough, the other two groups of Hunters were crowding around the entrance to the plane. Kaname started toward them, suddenly excited. He could feel her there, just a few feet away from him.

Cross was suddenly in front of him, blocking his view of everything that was going on at the entrance to the airplane. "Kaname-kun, we're taking a private plane this time, just in case you two can't be controlled. You, Kiryu-kun, and your sister are over there." He pointed to the terminal at the other side of the hallway and handed Kaname the proper tickets. "I hope you don't do anything reckless," Cross muttered, then called, "Hurry up! They're almost boarding!"

Zero reappeared, growling as he rejoined Kaname. "He expects me to babysit two of them," he muttered to himself. Behind him, more groaning was heard, and that was when Kaname saw her.

Jeannette stood before him, her purple dress gathering around her feet. Her brown hair was tied back in a bun, and her silver eyes were rimmed with red. Kaname knew she was thirsty, because at the same time, he was too. He looked her in the eye, knowing he should say something but couldn't find the right words to say.

They stood before each other, letting their faces do the talking. Kaname knew Jeannette was angry, but he didn't feel like he knew the right words to console her. After a while, Zero came in between them, clearly enraged. "Hurry up, you two! Do you want to go home or not?"

"No," Jeannette replied at once, her voice low. Kaname looked at her again, but she was already following Zero to the terminal. He sighed and joined them, thinking about what was to come.


	6. Just Like Old Times

**Chapter Six**

Jeannette hadn't said anything ever since the three of them boarded the plane. She was seated next to the window, with Kaname beside her, and Zero in the middle row. They were in the plane for about an hour now, and all she had done was watch TV, listen to music, and look out the window. Occasionally, when she would accidentally make physical contact with Kaname—say, elbowing him during a horror movie—she would blush and mutter an apology, before going into silence once again.

On the other hand, Kaname was trying to get himself to talk to her. When they would accidentally make eye contact, he would smile, hoping that she would smile back, but instead, she would nod and go back to watching her movie. By the third hour of the flight, Kaname was bloodthirsty. It had been about two days since he last drank blood from Yuki, and now, when his ex-fiance was just sitting next to him, he almost cried from the pain.

Kaname looked at Jeannette. She had gone away from the movie and back to her music, nodding and mouthing the lyrics as they came along.

Jeannette felt a pair of brown eyes on her, and she flinched, making her iPod slide under the seat in front of them.

"Shit!" she hissed, feeling the loss as her earphones were tugged away from her. She bent down and tried to grab them, but they were too far away from her reach.

Kaname noticed, and with his Pureblood powers, forced the iPod and earphones to float back to his opened hand, careful not to let the passenger next to him see.

Jeannette looked at him, her silver eyes wide, saying nothing as Kaname handed the items back to her. Trying to make conversation, he asked, "What are you listening to?" even though he could hear the song clearly with his powerful ears.

She stared at him for a moment, surprised. Finally, she said, "'All Fall Down', by OneRepublic." _Idiot_, she thought. _What does he know about music?_ "They're a popular band in America—"

"I know," he said, his brown eyes twinkling. Jeannette had to look away before she could drown in their dark depths.

When she felt the awkwardness start to settle in, Jeannette reluctantly pulled out one of her earphones and asked, "You wanna listen?"

"Sure." Kaname placed it in his ear, and together they went through her three-hour long playlist. By the second time around, Kaname had memorized more than half of the songs. They sang in their loudest voices until a flight attendant had asked them to stop. When she left, Jeannette muttered, "Bitch."

Kaname turned to look at her, expecting her to be pissed off, but instead, she was smiling. He couldn't help but smile with her, and he couldn't remember the last time he enjoyed something as boring as an airplane ride.

Jeannette looked to the ceiling and started singing again, when Kaname asked, "Aren't you afraid of her throwing us out of the plane?"

She stopped her song and looked at him in interest. "If she did, Tom would probably sue her for everything she has."

"If you lived to tell the tale," Kaname added.

Jeannette rolled her eyes. "No way. You would probably grab a parachute before she kicked us out, and we'd land somewhere in the ocean."

"…Where there is an abundance of sharks."

Jeannette laughed, going along with his game. "You would mind-control them, and force them to take us to land as quickly as they can."

"And you would be left to be eaten after slipping off one of them on the way to shore." Kaname gave her a look that said, _And what are you going to do about that?_

Jeannette thought for a while, patting her thighs as she did. "...Then I would control the water to create a tsunami to drown you and the sharks, while I paddle to shore safely." When Kaname opened his mouth to speak, she held up a finger and added, "And I would NOT be affected because the waves would pull me along quickly, and I would NOT come into contact with any dangerous sea creatures."

Kaname held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, you win. Even though you cheated."

Jeannette mindlessly ruffled his brown hair, making shivers run down his spine. "Cheaters always win. You should know that by now."

And with that, the siblings talked about less important subjects, such as Jeannette's college-life or the house that Kaname had accidentally destroyed a week ago. Even though they talked about everything, there was one thing that they both left unsaid. It was the fact of the two of them actually _being _together, when they thought that never in a million years would they see each other again.

When light flooded through Jeannette's window, she felt her eyelids starting to droop. Kaname noticed this also, hearing the drowsiness in her voice, the slur of her words. In fact, he was beginning to get tired as well.

"I think I'm gonna crash," Jeannette said after a yawn. Her eyes lit up. "Wait. Bad term while being in an airplane."

"Don't worry about crashing; I'll protect you." Kaname flushed—he hadn't meant to say that out loud. He shifted in his seat, making him face the opposite direction. He relaxed his shoulders and muttered a hasty "Good night".

Jeannette watched him carefully, then slowly, she raised her hand to rub his head. "You know I'd do the same for you," she whispered. "Good night, Kaname."

Kaname heard her shut the window, and when her breaths became slower, he finally sat up. He looked at her sleeping face, feeling a sense of déjà vu washing over him. That was the first time in ten years that he heard her say his name.

Not thinking, he leaned over and kissed her forehead, whispering, "Good night, Jeannette" in their language. As he was bent over, he noticed how blue her veins were in her neck. _Wait_, he thought. _Not here. Not now._ Kaname took a deep breath and tried moving away, but he couldn't bring his body to. His fangs were now protruding past his lip, and his heart was beating in his throat. He could hear the blood pulsing through his sister's body, and he wanted so much to devour it all.

"Kuran-senpai," he heard someone call. He didn't have to look back to know that Zero was talking to him. With all the strength he could muster, Kaname pulled away from Jeannette and leaned back in his seat, squeezing the padded arms gently.

"I wasn't going to do anything to her," he said calmly, closing his eyes and not looking at the ex-human two seats away from him.

"You'd better not," Zero said in their language. "I wouldn't be very happy if I had to erase all of the memories in this plane."

"No, you wouldn't", was all Kaname said before succumbing to the call of sleep.

…

Jeannette tapped her iPod impatiently, ignoring the eyes of her brother and the Hunter before her. They'd been in the ratty Hunter car for nearly an hour, and as much as she hated to admit, she wanted to get to the Society as quickly as possible. She tried to pretend that Kaname wasn't looking at Zero with eyes that wanted to kill, and that Zero wasn't looking back with the same intentions.

_What happened while I was sleeping?_ She asked herself, swinging her earphones in a circular motion.

Finally, the car stopped, and Jeannette sensed Hunter presences all around her, feeling afraid but not showing it.

Zero stood and motioned for her and Kaname to get up as well. He handcuffed them once again before leading them out of the car.

Hunters were not the only people crowding the entrance to the Hunters' Society. Vampire nobles from all sorts of places were standing before the road, staring at her and Kaname with love and fear in their eyes.

Kaname walked behind Zero, Jeannette falling into step beside him. All eyes were on them, but mostly he knew that everyone was wondering about the beauty walking beside their beloved Kaname-sama.

When they were a few feet from the wide doors leading into the building, a familiar blond vampire rushed out at Kaname, shouting, "Kaname-sama! Kain and I—"

"Don't do anything foolish, Aido." Kaname gave him _the look_, and immediately Aido stopped running towards him and stood in between Kain and Takuma. Ruka was lingering behind them, and Kaname knew that she envied the girl beside him, just for being able to be so close to him.

Finally, the trio had reached the doors to the Society, leaving the people outside to themselves. They walked to the end of the hall, where Yuki was waiting with Cross and Yagari Toga, who had gotten there earlier than they had.

"Kaname!" Yuki waved at him, smiling brilliantly. Kaname smiled back, ignoring the fact that they were all about to be questioned now.

Yuki, followed by Cross and Yagari, ran towards the three, greeting Zero as well. "You okay, Zero?"

Zero grunted and left the three Purebloods to the Hunters, making Kaname feel vulnerable all of a sudden. Without Zero to protect them, they were probably going to get into trouble, and in a place crowded with Hunters, that wasn't very good.

Yuki hugged him awkwardly, feeling the sting from the handcuffs, but she didn't care. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "I'm so glad you're okay." Receiving a tired grin from Kaname, she turned to the girl standing next to him. Yuki pulled off the biggest smile she could, and she said, "Hello, Jeannette. It's very nice to meet you." She reached out to touch her arm, when Jeannette stepped back.

She didn't say anything, but she gave Yuki a look which said, _Don't touch me_. Standing before her was the girl who had changed her life forever. The girl who had forced her to choose to run away, all those years ago.

The girl who had stolen the man who was supposed to be hers, now and for eternity.


	7. No Reason

**Chapter Seven**

**A/N: I apologize once again for the long wait. It was the last few weeks of school, and with finals and all that, I didn't really have time to write. In the last chapter, an anonymous review pointed out that Kaname, Jeannette, and Zero were supposed to be on a private plane, and not a commercial plane. I'm sorry for making that mistake—it's quite embarrassing being the writer—and I'll try not to make another one again. So, gomen, and enjoy the next chapter! : )**

Jeannette waited impatiently out in the hallway, twirling her earphones as she did. Kaname was still being interviewed, so she was alone with Yuki standing across from her. She did her best to avoid eye contact, but it was so hard because the girl was just too damn talkative.

Yuki stared at her with big, brown eyes. "So... how's life in New York?"

Jeannette pretended not to hear her over her iPod, glad that she grabbed it on the way out of her apartment a few days ago. She regretted not bringing her phone, though—she felt helpless without it.

Yuki shot another string of questions at her, but after realizing that it was useless trying to carry on a conversation, she stopped. Jeannette knew that she was being immature, but she thought if she opened her mouth she'd accidentally maul her sister's neck in vengeance.

Finally, Kaname exited the interrogation room. The two girls both perked up at his presence, but Yuki was sent in soon after. Kaname leaned on the wall in the exact same spot Yuki was standing.

"You seem relieved," he commented after analyzing his sister for a moment.

"But I'm not," Jeannette snapped. "What did they ask you?"

"Shh," he hushed, looking at the ceiling. "They're watching us."

She rolled her eyes, tapping at the iPod screen in nervous anxiety.

"What did you talk about?" Kaname asked.

Jeannette shrugged. "I didn't say anything."

"You should at least _try_ to talk to her."

Jeannette nearly lunged at him. _Why should I be the one to talk to her? _She wanted to yell. _Why me, when this is all her fault? _But it wasn't Yuki's fault, Jeannette knew, that she was here, standing in the Hunter's Society. It was that damn Pureblood who messed with the Blood Tablets.

The door next to her opened, and a pale Yuki walked out. She looked at Jeannette and said, "Your turn."

As she walked in, she caught Yuki hugging Kaname, the way she used to do all those years ago.

…

"Please, sit down." Kaien Cross gestured toward the single chair in the windowless room. It had a faint smell of gasoline, much to Jeannette's dislike. The walls looked like they were recently painted, the brown glinting from the small source of light in the center of the ceiling.

Jeannette sat down, putting her hands under the table to hide the way they were trembling.

Cross gave a little smile for encouragement. "This won't take very long," he promised, but Jeannette didn't believe him. He circled her slowly, examining her every emotion. "You look much like your brother."

Jeannette nodded, but she didn't look at him. "I get that a lot." _Or I used to._

"Yes, you resemble your father as well. Except for your eyes," he added. Finally, he stopped circling and stood before Jeannette, his face serious now. "Tell me, why did you leave your family?"

"Personal reasons," Jeannette replied at once, looking him straight in the eye. She was _not _going to lose.

Cross pursed his lips together. "I find it unusual that a few days after you left, Rido Kuran murdered your parents."

Jeannette stiffened. She was well aware of how her parents died, but hearing it from someone else's mouth unsettled her.

Cross noticed this. He continued his circle around her, saying, "Were you associated with the murder of your parents?"

She jumped out of her seat, rising to her full height. She was still a foot shorter than the Hunter, but she knew she was more powerful than he could ever be. "How dare you—"

He raised a hand to stop her. "Let's calm down now. Remember, I said that this would go quickly if you behaved."

"You didn't say that," Jeannette said, sitting down again.

"Good. You're paying attention." He leaned over and pressed his hands to the table. "Before a few days ago, you haven't taken any blood from your brother for ten years. How did you manage to survive?"

"Blood Tablets. What else?"

Cross removed his glasses, rubbing his temples. "The Night Class created the Blood Tablets about five years ago. What did you do the other five?"

Jeannette had anticipated this question. Like her brother, she was always one step ahead of everyone. "I hunted animals and drank from them." This wasn't entirely true—you couldn't just hunt any animal in New York. When Jeannette had first moved in, Thomas had a portion of his business specified for grocery stores. Occasionally, he'd come home with pieces of raw beef for dinner, so Jeannette would have to sneak in a few drinks before the chefs cooked it. It wasn't really tasty, but it had fulfilled her thirst.

Fortunately, Cross did not know of this. He stood up and folded his arms across his chest. "When the Night Class first produced the Tablet, you heard of it, right? Did you get the idea of creating your own using your blood, and distributing it to vampires around the world?"

Jeannette frowned. "I was thirteen then. No way would I have the brains to create a pill."

Cross sighed, then walked to the door and opened it for her. "You're free to go."

Jeannette got up from her chair and joined him at the door. She thanked him, even though he hadn't really done anything in her favor. When she was in the hallway again, Kaname and Yuki immediately started following her out of the building and onto the road.

"Where are we going now?" Yuki asked, walking in between her older siblings.

"Me? I'm going home." Jeannette didn't miss Yuki's surprised face. After all, Jeannette had never said anything to her before.

Kaname stopped walking. "You're going back?" He couldn't believe this. _Damn it, Kuran. Of course she wasn't going to stay._

Jeannette stopped as well, turning to face him. "What do you expect, Kaname? You can't just pull me away from my job and family and order me to stay here."

"We _are _your family, Jeannette. Or have you forgotten that?" Kaname couldn't stop the angry tone rising in his voice.

Jeannette clenched her fists, and she looked up at her brother, suddenly wishing she was a foot taller. "I'm sorry, but _family _disappeared when you decided to leave me for _her_!" She didn't have to say the name for him to realize what she meant.

"That's not true," Kaname said, trying hard not to accidentally use his one of his powers on her.

"Is it?" Jeannette knew she was yelling now, but she didn't care. "I'm not and idiot. I _know _why Haruka and Juri decided to have another girl. It was because they wanted you to be with someone stronger to take over for them when they were gone!"

Kaname staggered back as if he had just been slapped. _Was this how she felt, all that time? _"No, Jen. It's not that—"

"Just stop!" Jeannette shook her head, her brain numbing from all the rage stored inside it. "You don't mean that. You don't mean _anything _you say."

"Guys, stop!" Yuki was suddenly in between them, pushing them away from each other. "You're siblings, you shouldn't be fighting!"

Jeannette stepped away from her. "Why should I listen to you?" She turned to Kaname. "Why should I listen to any of you? I'm a goddamn Pureblood, and I could do whatever the hell I want!" She turned toward the forest, deciding on running there, when Kaname grabbed her wrist. His hold on her was gentle, but firm at the same time. "Jeannette," he whispered, his voice in pain.

His touch was all it took. Jeannette felt her eyes go red, and blood flooded her mouth after her fangs pierced her bottom lip. _No, no, no, no!_

She pulled away from him, and ran. She didn't know where she was going, nor did she care. She just didn't want to give in. She did _not _want to show Kaname how weak she was without him.

When she felt the others' presences fading away, she stopped running. The clouds above began to pour, mostly because her mood was shifting the air particles around her. She didn't care, though. The rain shielded _his _scent from her. She leaned against a tree and sat down at its trunk, closing her eyes and hoping the thirst would just go away.

…

Kaname watched in disbelief as Jeannette ran into the forest. He felt horrible, and when he heard Yuki's voice beside him, he really wanted to die right there.

"Kaname…" Yuki looked at him, her eyes sad and unsure. It had started to rain, and if they stood there any longer, they'd both be sopping wet.

"Come on, Yuki," he said, taking her hand and pulling her with him. "I'll call a car."

Later, when the black limousine had arrived, Kaname helped Yuki inside, but remained in the rain.

"Are you going to look for her?" Yuki asked.

Kaname nodded. "We just need to sort out a few things. You don't have to worry, okay? I'll meet you back at the house." He was about to close the door when Yuki touched his arm.

"Is it true?" her voice was lower than a whisper, and if it wasn't for his sharp hearing, Kaname probably wouldn't have heard her question.

"What, Yuki?" he pressed patiently.

"Is it true?" she repeated. "Mom and Dad… they had me because they thought Jeannette was too weak for you?"

Kaname managed a smile, even though he felt like sobbing at the moment. "It may seem like that, but it's not." Kaname knew that she knew he was lying, so he found the perfect moment to bid farewell and close the door. Then, he headed out into the pouring rain in search for his other sister.

...

Jeannette awoke to the sound of footsteps on the muddy earth. She knew very well as to who would be standing in front of her, so she didn't even bother opening her eyes. She nuzzled against the tree, preparing for another wave of exhaustion to take her.

Suddenly, it was not rough bark against her face, but the soft fabric of a coat. She felt Kaname's arms around her shoulders, pulling her body into his warmth. She couldn't find the strength to pull away; in fact, she didn't _want _to pull away. She sat there with him embracing her for a few minutes, until one of them decided to speak.

"I'm sorry," Kaname finally said. "I was an ass back there."

Jeannette scoffed. "No kidding." She could feel the rumbling in his chest as he chuckled softly. She opened her eyes, looking at her brother as if she'd just seen him for the first time. His brown locks were pressed against his face and neck because of the rain, his brown eyes emanating nothing but innocence.

Kaname felt himself sinking as she looked at him like that. His eyes quickly reddened, and he thought he could hear his heart beat.

"You're thirsty," Jeannette said, cupping his cheek.

"So are you," Kaname replied, noticing the reddish hue that had overcome her silver eyes. He buried his face in her neck, silently asking for the unforgivable.

"Go ahead," Jeannette whispered, tilting her head to the side to grant him further access to her neck. She was thirsty, too, but she liked the feeling of Kaname giving up before she did.

It took less than a second for Kaname to sink his fangs into her neck. He shivered as her essence poured out of her and into his mouth, filling the emptiness in his soul. His chest heaved as her memories and thoughts washed over his mind. He could feel her loneliness through her blood; it made him want to laugh and cry all at once. He knew she really believed what she had said earlier, about their parents bearing Yuki to replace her. _That's not true, _he wanted to say to her. Haruka and Juri loved her; they would never replace her. A little while later, he felt the sting of fangs biting into his shoulder, so he knew that they were drinking simultaneously.

Jeannette had taken off his coat and unbuttoned his collar, pushing the fabric away as she pressed her lips to his bare shoulder. She had forgotten how good this could feel, taking blood from your lover.

_But we're not lovers, _she reminded herself. _We're just here at each other's convenience. _It hurt her to be saying these things, it really did. But she knew that if she lied to herself now, she'd be even more heartbroken in the future.

Jeannette didn't realize that Kaname had stopped drinking from her a little while ago. When she leaned away from his shoulder, she found Kaname looking at her with sad eyes.

"What?" she asked, wiping the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand.

"How did you do it? Blood Tablets couldn't have fulfilled you for five years." Kaname had overheard her interrogation with Kaien earlier, and he could see through every lie she told.

Jeannette rested her head against his shoulder. "The ones I took were heavier than the normal ones. I paid extra for them."

Kaname flinched as the truth hit him. He didn't remember manufacturing a heavier Tablet. "Don't take them anymore," he ordered.

Jeannette sighed and closed her eyes, feeling drowsy again. "I can't," she admitted. "They didn't seem to correspond well with my throat."

Kaname tilted her head to face him, forcing her to open her eyes. "They must have been the ones with the Pureblood blood."

Jeannette was shocked. _Shit! How could I have been so stupid? God, I'm a moron. _

"Do you still have them with you?" Kaname asked.

Jeannette shook her head. "They're in my purse back at my apartment." This was such bad timing.

"Never mind, I'll get a hold of other ones." Suddenly, a new thought came to him. "You have to stay, if you intend to stay alive."

Jeannette started, looking at him with an annoyed expression. "What?"

"If you can't take the Blood Tablet, you're going to have to keep taking from me." Kaname tried not to smile, even though he really felt like doing so.

Jeannette groaned and tried pulling away, but Kaname just held her tighter. "Do you _really _want to leave?" he asked, in a voice so low it almost didn't sound like him.

Jeannette was surprised at his tone. She caressed his cheek again, not wanting him to be so sad. "I don't. Don't look so sad, Kaname." Truth was, she _did _want to go back, because of this. Because she was tired of all the sadness and depression that clouded her and her siblings. She knew that it was useless trying to run away from all her problems, but if it could grant her that one moment of happiness, it was worth it.

Kaname didn't answer. He hid against her neck again, closing his eyes. Jeannette sighed and rubbed his back. "I'll go home with you, okay? You don't have to cry…" Jeannette knew he _wasn't _crying, but she couldn't help making fun of him.

Kaname smiled. "Okay. Let's go."


End file.
